Chương 12: Suzy

"What—what is this?!" The captured Suzy squeaked in panic inside the glass bowl. She turned around and saw me.

"It's YOU!" she said accusingly.

"Stop that! Release me! Release me at once!"

"At once, your highness?" I gave a small chuckle.

"Really, you are just a small mouse. You should remember that well and know your place."

"And youuu," she squeaked, pointing right at me, "are mean, fat, and ugly!"" HAA!" I gasped, "How dare you!!" The sheer audacity of this tiny pest!

"Release me right now! Help! Help!" she shouted, pounding the glass wall with her tiny fists. But her small voice and her frantic pounding were thoroughly muffled by the thick glass, making her barely audible. There was no chance her rat friends would hear her, and even if they did, what could they do? Assemble a tiny committee? I then grabbed a flat ceramic plate while still keeping the glass bowl pinned down. I carefully slid the plate under the rim, ignoring the mouse's frantic squeaks and curses.

Once the opening was sealed, I lifted the whole thing, keeping her safely trapped in her makeshift glass prison.

"Where are you taking me?!" she demanded.

"We will go to my room," I said.

"Then we can have a nice, quiet, and civilized chat." She kept pounding the glass walls, cursing, threatening, and demanding early release. Well, she would have none of that. I was bored enough to talk with a prisoner mouse, and that was exactly what I intended to do. I was also somewhat curious. I went to my room and set the plate, the mouse, and the bowl on my nightstand. I then took a heavy book that was lying around and placed it on top of the bowl.

I observed that all her tiny pouncing, kicking, and shoving did absolutely nothing to budge the glass. I could rest assured my cage was secure. Then I lay on my bed, getting very comfortable, with my head only inches away from the caged mouse. Now, she didn't scare me one bit. I smiled and waited patiently for her to stop cursing and pounding. After a few minutes, she let out a long sigh and finally sat in the center of the bowl, her tiny arms crossed.

"Well, well," I said.

"Now that you've finally calmed down, we can speak like civilized... uh, mammals." Wait, were mice mammals? They didn't lay eggs, right? Oh, I couldn't remember. I didn't think mice laid eggs. I would ask, but I'd probably just sound like an idiot.

"I'm not talking to you!" she pouted, looking away with her arms still crossed.

"But you felt comfortable enough to steal food from me!" I accused right back.

"I was not stealing, I was taking!" she retorted, apparently deciding to talk to me after all.

"And you...! Your singing is terrible! Terrible! The worst singing I ever heard. All the mice escape to the other side of the house when you sing!"

"Why, you—!" I almost threw her bowl prison aside. But then she would just escape. I needed to relax. Getting worked up by a mouse was even sillier than talking to one. And I didn't capture her just to trade insults anyway. That wasn't fun at all.

"I do mean to release you, you know," I explained slowly, softening my tone.

"I just want to speak first. For starters, your name is Suzy, if I'm not mistaken." That made her snap her head toward me.

"How? How did you know!?" she squeaked.

"I am Cinderella's stepsister, of course," I said, acting slightly offended.

"Don't you think she tells me about her little friends?"

"You're noooo sister of Cinderelly!" she said in a harsh squeaky tone, pointing her hand at me accusatorily.

"You are her captor! Her torturer! You treat her like a slave! You! Your sister! Your mother! Shame on you! Cinderella is always kind, and she tries so hard! And you people are always cruel to her! Shame on you!" That stung a little, because to some extent—or degree, perhaps—there was some truth to it. But I wasn't going to be fazed by a rodent's accusations.

"Look here," I said angrily.

"Since her father passed away, this is mother's house. She could throw Cinderella out, but she took her in like family. In exchange, all she is required to do is help around the house here and there."

"Ha!" Suzy just chuckled at that.

"Take her in like family! You make me laugh! And today! Today you tore her dress! Her mother's dress! This is taking her in like family? You are the worst!" Then Suzy's expression fell, and she changed her tone to a deeply sad one.

"Poor Cinderelly cried. And cried and cried. She so wanted to go to the ball! We fixed her dress soooo prettyyy, and she was soooo pretty and happy! And now it is all ruined!"

"First of all, I didn't tear the dress!" I retorted defensively. Why am I feeling the need to defend myself against a rodent?

"It was my sister, Anastasia!" This was technically true. Today, I didn't actually physically tear the dress.

"And second," I said, putting on a highly knowledgeable expression, "for your rodent knowledge, you are not up to date with current events. Cinderella is currently at the ball, mind you. She took four of your mice friends with her, too." That changed her expression to one of curious hope. Mice's moods changed quickly, apparently.

"Cinderelly? Cinderelly is at the ball?" she squeaked. her hands pressed to the glass.

"How? But the dress!"

"When Cinderella ran out crying," I explained, "a witch came! An old lady with a magic wand. She made everything with magic: a new beautiful dress, a beautiful carriage, and she even turned your mice friends into beautiful horses!" Suzy looked at me with wide eyes.

"But it wasn't a witch," Suzy said, her rodent eyes gleaming.

"It was her fairy godmother!"

"Her what?" I asked, honestly surprised that Suzy even believed such nonsense.

"Her fairy godmother!" she repeated.

"Cinderelly talks about her a lot! She's never seen her, but she believes in her! Her mother told her all about her! Cinderelly always hoped to meet her one day."

"Oh..." I said. Shouldn't fairies be... small, with wings? Whatever.

"So Cinderelly did go to the ball!" Suzy smiled dreamily, hugging herself.

"Wearing a beautiful magical dress. Oh, I can just picture it."

"Yes," I said, my expression blank.

"She'll probably get to dance with the prince, too." Suzy looked at me, all the anger and hostility evaporating from her face.

"Thank you," she said, "for telling me about Cinderelly."

"..."

"But it's time you release me already," she said in a reasonable tone.

"I won't bite you like I planned to just a moment ago!" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"You won't... bite me, like you planned?" I repeated.

"No, but only if you release me now!" she said.

"If not... I will call all the mice, and at night we will sneak into your bed... under the sheets... and..."

"Okay, okay!" I was completely fazed by that last threat. I really was.

"I... also won't run away," she sighed.

"We can keep talking." I was actually kind of hoping she would run away. A mouse not caged behind glass still gave me the absolute shivers. Oh well. I supposed I can release her; it wasn't like I had a very good reason to take her captive in the first place. I removed the heavy book and set it aside. Then, slowly... slowly... I lifted the cup... and immediately jumped back onto my bed, throwing my pillow in front of me as a shield.

"Look how big you are!" Suzy chuckled.

"Don't you find it funny to be so scared of us little mice?"

"Well, I'm not scared! I just..." I wanted to say disgusted by you, wretched pests, but I figured we were past the point of exchanging insults. I moved the pillow aside slowly.

"You see?" she smiled.

"It's not so hard!" Suzy stood on the nightstand, all happy and smiling. Had she forgotten that just a moment ago she was my prisoner? She was basically exactly like Cinderella. Or maybe mice just have really, really short memories. She took a small mouse step toward me, and I instinctively recoiled.

"Yes, you are scared of me," she smiled.

"You really shouldn't be. I never bite or scratch!"

"It's just that..." I managed to say.

"You see, mice aren't... clean."

"Oh, but we are!" she squeaked.

"We bathe every day! So we are very, very clean! I sometimes bathe twice a day! But..." she suddenly paused to think, "some of the guys! They don't bathe enough. Sometimes they stink like rats! When they do, they are not allowed to enter our houses. I scold them, too! But us mice girls? Very clean. Very, very clean." She then took a few more steps closer.

"Come see!" she said, reaching her little hands forward.

"See how shiny and clean and groomed my fur is? shiny fur! Yes, you can feel it, I don't mind."

"It's fine, I'm good, really!" I said.

"I'm not scared, okay?" Suzy looked at me with a daring smile.

"Then prove it!" she said.

"Hold me in your hand." What now?

"You mean, to... to... hold you?" I stammer,"Yes," she instructed.

"Bring your hand close." And instinctively I obeyed, moving my hand closer and my head as far as physically possible.

"Closer, closer," she said. I did, and then she... just walked onto my hand. Ewwwww... ah, wait. Nothing horrible happened, actually. Her tiny feet just tickled a bit.

"See..." I said, forcing a horrifying, strained smile onto my face.

"Not scared of mice! Now, can... you please..." She stepped back onto the nightstand and sighed.

"I guess it was good for a first step!"

"I guess." Oh god, how did it come to this? What was I even doing?

"You know," she said, "you are not so bad, Drizella." So she did know my name.

"I think," she said, "it is very good to have mice friends."

"I assume… so," I replied. And I actually thought it, too. They could fix clothes, clean, and steal things for you. They were essentially tiny, furry Cinderellas. I yawned. It was very late at night, and I was already in bed. But I had wanted to stay awake until Cinderella came back, so I could ask her why she ran away. But... I tried to remember the first repetition. Did she come home before mother and my sister? She should have, she had a fancy carriage after all, and I saw her leave the palace right at midnight.

But when we had returned, I didn't think she was in the house. Or had we just not noticed her? Oh, but I was so tired. Well, there was no rush anyway. I could just ask her tomorrow. Today was exhausting. All this hairy fairy godmother magic, mice conversations, and what have you—it was a bit too much for me. I yawned again, closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep. I woke up groggily as the morning sun began to peek through the curtains. I had actually slept quite well. I opened my eyes fully, and...

"AAAAAHHHAA!" I shouted at the top of my lungs! There was a mouse curled up and sleeping right on my blanket! Just then I remembered... the mouse was Suzy. We had talked last night... but I WAS STILL FREAKED OUT!

"Do you mind?" she asked accusingly, rotating in place, and then went right back to sleep! Why, that mouse! She had the nerve to fall asleep in my bed uninvited! I would chase her away, but I couldn't while she was asleep; it was simply bad manners. My door suddenly burst open, and Cinderella barged in.

"Is everything alright, Drizella?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"I heard a scream."

"Yes, yes. It was just Suzy," I said, pointing at the sleeping mouse.

"I just didn't expect to see her here, is all."

"Suzy..." She followed my pointing finger, saw the mouse, and gasped.

"But... how... I don't..."

"I didn't go to the ball," I said, figuring she probably hadn't noticed.

"I was bored and had a talk with Suzy. Then she apparently decided to sleep in my bed! Uninvited, mind you."

"Oh," Cinderella said, still looking very troubled by these bizarre events.

"So... how was it?" I asked.

"The ball."

"I don't understand, Drizella," she stammered.

"I saw you walk to the ball yesterday! And how did you know I even went? After... after what you did! And now you are being nice to me, and talking to Suzy! Oh, it must be the fairy godmother's magic... somehow..."

"Would you stop all that babbling!" I said irritably.

"It's early in the morning, don't make my head hurt."

"I'm sorry, Drizella, I just..."

"You shouldn't think about it too much," I told her.

"I just didn't want to go to the ball, because... well, I thought it was silly. And when I stayed behind, I saw that witch... fairy... godmother. With all her shining, sparkling magic, pumpkins, mice-horses, dress, and what not."

"Oh, then you really saw it all!" she smiled.

"Well," I said, starting to lose my patience despite trying to be nice.

"How was it? The ball?" Suzy finally woke up, saw Cinderella, and immediately brightened.

"The ball, the ball!" she squeaked.

"Tell us, yes!" Cinderella gave me another suspicious look, but then she was all smiles again and began her story.

"Oh, but it was everything I dared to imagine it to be," she sighed wistfully.

"And some of it, I didn't even dare to! It was all so beautiful. The palace was enormous, bathed in golden light with grand marble staircases and crystal chandeliers everywhere! And the ladies with their dresses were so beautiful!"

"The ladies were beautiful?" I interrupted her.

"Yes, very much so," she said, before continuing.

"But most of all... I met that... gentleman." She sighed happily.

"He was so kind, so charming, and sooo handsome! And we danced and danced." She stopped speaking, her eyes turning dreamy as she stared off into the distance, completely lost in the magical memory.

"The prince!" Suzy jumped.

"It was the prince!"

"Oh, I don't think so," Cinderella replied.

"I haven't met the prince, so I wouldn't know for sure, but the prince ought to be entertaining the high-class ladies, not wasting his time with me!" She actually didn't know? That was... interesting.

"Yes, it sounds really romantic and magical," I said, wanting to get straight to the point.

"So you danced and talked all night? With a catch like that, I mean, you wouldn't just leave the ball early!"

"The magic," she said, a sudden sadness touching her voice.

"It could only last until midnight. My fairy godmother warned me... then it would all turn back. The dress, the carriage, everything. So at midnight, I just ran away! I couldn't stay!"

"YES!" I shouted happily. I couldn't contain it.

"Yes! I finally know! Good, good!" Cinderella and Suzy both stared at me with wide eyes, utterly bewildered by my eccentric behavior.

"Drizella, don't be mean," she said quietly.

"I... well, despite it all, it was still the most magical experience I've ever had! I will treasure those memories for..."

"Wait a moment!" I stopped her. There was still something I didn't quite understand.

"So, if you were dancing happily with someone... who was just some guy, not even the prince... and you were having such a fun time. Why did you run away? Just because your dress was going to turn back? Surely if he was such a charmer, he wouldn't mind!"

"What, I..." she stumbled at that, her brow furrowing in deep concentration.

"I thought... that I must run away, because without the magic..."

"You are just a poor, simple servant," I helped her finish the thought.

"Who doesn't deserve to be at a ball in the palace, mingling among the high class." Cinderella looked straight at me, her beautiful eyes suddenly defensive.

"I certainly don't think that!" she said.

"Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe I shouldn't have run. This... person that I danced with... this wonderful person... would surely... surely..." She trailed off, looking deeply troubled and suddenly unsure of herself. Yes, in our modern society, status meant a lot. From her point of view, there was a very good chance he wouldn't have wanted her if he knew her true nature.

"Oh, but the guy you danced with?" I said casually.

"That was the prince, by the way."

"Now stop teasing me!" she huffed.

"And how could you possibly know that? You weren't even at the ball!"

"Believe me, I just... well, I know things," I said.

"I also know that the prince did fall for you, and wants to marry you, even. And now that you ran away, all the kingdom will come looking for you." I didn't have a particularly good reason to tell her all of that; mostly, I just felt like it.

"Stop it, Drizella," she said in a serious tone.

"That doesn't even make sense. Stop making fun of me!"

"You dropped it," I said to her, looking right into her eyes.

"Your left glass slipper. It remained from the magic." Cinderella looked at me with utterly puzzled eyes.

"How..."

"The prince, for some reason, doesn't remember your face very well," I added.

"Maybe he has bad eyesight. So the Grand Duke will come to each house in the kingdom, and measure the glass slipper against the foot of every maiden. And when it fits, the prince will marry her."

"That..." She squinted her eyes, clearly confused by this logic.

"That doesn't make any sense! Why..."

"In fact," I cut her off, "not two hours from now, they will come here. But mother suspects it was you at the ball, and she will lock you in your room so you can't try on the shoe."

"She... she wouldn't." Cinderella raised a trembling hand to cover her mouth in dismay.

"Yes, she will," I said flatly.

"I suggest you just wait outside the chateau. Take your right glass slipper with you. When you see the Grand Duke's carriage, stop it, and make them try the shoe on you. Show them the right slipper for good measure. Then they will take you immediately to the charming prince so you can get married at once. Make you a princess, or queen, or what not."

"Take me to marry the prince?" she repeated dumbly.

"Make me a princess?"

"Sure," I said, waving a hand dismissively.

"But before that, go get me my breakfast will you? I'm starving."